The men were covertly recorded by anti-terror cops in September last year pretending to be Formula One commentators covering a race, Woolwich Crown Court heard.

But in the middle of the conversation as they drove a VW Passat through Birmingham with Ali’s brother Bahadar, it is claimed Khalid said: “It’s the four suicide bombers driving around ready to take on England.

“Oh my God... take them out.”

The three men are alleged to have been ringleaders in planned suicide attacks that the prosecution say would have been bigger than the July 7 2005 atrocities in London.

Brian Altman QC, prosecuting, told the jury: “There you have, in the middle of the conversation, Khalid, clearly in his mind, it’s ‘the four suicide bombers’.”

The court heard allegations earlier this week that the trio posed as collectors for the Muslim Aid charity, in order to collect thousands of pounds to fund the attack.

They also lost a large chunk of the stolen money after unsuccessfully gambling on foreign exchange markets, prosecutors claimed.

They jury was also told on Tuesday that the men discussed welding butchers knives to a truck and driving it into crowds of people.

The court heard yesterday that the three men and an accomplice also applied for loans worth £33,000 from two branches of Barclays bank in Frederick Street, Jewellery Quarter and Stratford Road, Sparkbrook, to boost their terror funds.

Ashik Ali allegedly tried to get £15,000 from one branch in Stratford Road by claiming he was starting a double-glazing business.

The three men are charged with engaging in conduct in preparation of terrorist acts between Christmas Day 2010 and September 19 2011.

Naseer, from Doris Road, Sparkhill, and Ali, of White Street, Balsall Heath, are alleged to have planned a bombing campaign, collected money for terrorism and recruited others for terrorism.

Naseer and Khalid, of Timbers Way, Sparkbrook, are also accused of travelling to Pakistan for training in terrorism, and it is alleged that Naseer also helped others to travel to the country for the same purpose. The jury was told that the finer details of when the attacks would take place and the intended targets had not been discussed before police made the arrests.